Madam, - Cavan General Hospital has recently received a lot of criticism in the media.
At the same time as the problems on the surgical side of the hospital were being highlighted, almost nobody pointed out the excellent services provided by the other specialities. The medical side had to deal with an ever increasing workload and has looked after patients with great care and professionalism.
Obstetrics and gynaecology has for many years provided an excellent and safe service, and paediatrics has developed into a very fine service.
The psychiatric service delivered in east Cavan, through liaison between the hospital-based team, home-based team, and family doctors, is, in my opinion, a model of how good a public service to patients can be.
It could well act as a model for the delivery of psychiatric services throughout the country.
It must be demoralising and upsetting for staff in Cavan General, both medical and non-medical, to have read and listened to many of the recent reports about the hospital.
As a rule, patients and doctors who have been dealing with the hospital for many years are aware that the vast majority of patients report that they have been dealt with in a caring and professional way and with great kindness by the staff in Cavan General. - Yours, etc.,
Dr JOHN P. Mac MAHON, Kingscourt, Co Cavan.